Deanna Krenek's 4th Grade Cheetahs

Picking a Bluebonnet: Zane and the Hurricane

A Collective Review by Ms. Krenek and Her Cheetahs

Fourth grade students at Cimarron Elementary recently read Zane and the Hurricane by Rodman Philbrick. This literary nonfiction masterpiece, a 2015-2016 Texas Bluebonnet Award Nominee, captivated these readers with its heart-wrenching storyline of a young boy’s journey of survival throughout Hurricane Katrina and its aftermath.

In 2005, when many of these students were infants or not yet born, Hurricane Katrina devastated the southeastern coast of the United States. New Orleans endured the initial onslaught of the dangerous storm only to succumb to horrendous flooding and destruction when powerful storm surges caused surrounding levees to breach.

Readers experience the story through the eyes of Zane, a young visitor in this unfamiliar place who finds himself alone and stranded when his dog jumps out of the van window as he and his great-grandmother attempt to evacuate. Following his heart and Bandy’s wagging tail, Zane is left behind to face unimaginable circumstances. Fate intervenes in the kindred souls of Mr. Tru, an elderly jazz musician with a heart of gold, and Malvina, a spunky girl who hides her pain behind the façade of comical one-liners.

The characters in the novel evolve into special friends for whom the readers care deeply. What I like about Mr. Tru was that he was brave, and he knew what to do. (Bryan C.) Malvina is nice and sometimes funny. (Kylah C.) I like her strong relationships with Bandy and Zane. (Ruba E.) Zane helped Bandy get back on his feet. (Josiah R.) Mr. Tru, Zane, and Malvina bravely encounter each obstacle by drawing from sources of inner strength they never knew they possessed. When you run into challenges, you explore new things like Zane did in Katrina. He made new friends, and now Zane knows that he needs to stay calm in big situations.  He is VERY thankful for his family and friends. (Ayah R.)

With a broken infrastructure and inadequate preparation, the NOLA victims of Katrina reacted in extremes. When people are scared, the muscles and brain activate the fight or flight program in your brain. Your heart pumps faster. (Matt C.) Some people went ‘psycho’ during the hurricane, and some people started shooting! (Sam B.) Others were motivated by true desperation. They had no choice but to rob people for food and money, to also take other people’s houses for shelter and get so traumatized from the experience. (David G.) Especially after such overwhelming incidents, you learn from your mistakes, and they make you strong and confident. (Elena L.)

After discovering how life is celebrated during processionals in New Orleans, students served in “second line” as they paraded around the classroom while swirling handkerchiefs in the air. I was enjoying the music. (Landon N.) It was so much fun dancing. (Vivian S.) We got to walk around the room, waving these green sparkly pieces of fabric, so it was fun. (Chassidy F.)

As Zane and the Hurricane concluded with a generous dose of poetic justice, lessons learned, and a beautiful epilogue, the festive strains of New Orleans jazz closed the final chapter and changed our lives forever.